Hopper car closure actuating mechanism

ABSTRACT

An open top hopper car is provided with a plurality of hoppers having lower discharge openings. Underneath each hopper, a pair of hinged doors are swingable downwardly and outwardly to a discharging position by motor actuated mechanism. The actuating mechanism includes vertically extending levers pivotally connected to the hopper and interconnected to so that hinging movement of one lever causes hinging movement of the other lever and the levers are moved out of supporting engagement with the doors whereby the doors are opened by gravity. The levers are also provided with camming means at their lower edges which engage cams provided on the doors for moving the doors to the closed position upon rotation of the levers. The camming arrangement provides for an effective closing of the doors and maintains the same in their closed position.

United States Patent Nagy [451 Mar. 21, 1972 541 HOPPER CAR CLOSURE ACTUATING 3,295,704 1/1967 Gillick et al ..105 240 x MECHANISM 3,356,416 12/1967 Kress et al.... 105/240 X [72] lnventor: Ernest J. Nagy, Munster, Ind. primary Examiner Anhur L. La point [73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill. Ass'stam Exfmmer Howard Beltran Attorney-H1lmond O. Vogel and Wayne Morris Russell [22] Filed: Sept. 19, 1969 21 Appl. No.: 859,325 [57] ABSTRACT An open top hopper car is provided with a plurality of hoppers [52] U S Cl 105/240 105/251 105/290 having lower discharge openings. Underneath each hopper, a 105/299 105/304 105/306 pair of hinged doors are swingable downwardly and outwardly [51] Int Cl B61; 7/02 1 d 7/18 B61d 7/26 to a discharging position by motor actuated mechanism. The 58] i 105/2110 244 293 294 actuating mechanism includes vertically extending levers 105/295 pivotally connected to the hopper and interconnected to so that hinging movement of one lever causes hinging movement of the other lever and the levers are moved out of supporting [56] References cued engagement with the doors whereby the doors are opened by UNITED STATES PATENTS gravity. The levers are also provided with camming means at their lower edges which engage cams provided on the doors 780,761 H1905 Otis ..105/240 for moving the doors to the closed position upon rotation of 1,035,763 8/1912 zlmrflel'manthe levers. The camming arrangement provides for an effeci 3?" 8 %??4 tive closing of the doors and maintains the same in their closed iver osmon 2,250,592 7/1941 McBride et a1. ..105/298 X P 2,268,290 12/1941 Landis ..105/240 X 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZI I972 3,650,221

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR ERNEST J. NAGY PATENTEDMAR21 I972 v 3, 650,221

sumz [1F 3 INVENTOR ERNEST J. NAGY PATENTEDHARZ] I972 3 650 221 sum 3 OF 3 INVENTOR ERNEST J. NAGY HOPPER CAR CLOSURE ACTUATING MECHANISM SUMMARY The present invention relates to a hopper car having a plurality of hoppers with discharge gates or doors positioned below each hopper. The discharge gates are movable to open position by gravity by the load carried within each hopper. In the closed position the gates are supported by means of vertical levers suitably interconnected and connected to the hopper, with the levers being connected to a pneumatic or hydraulic mechanism which moves one of said levers thereby simultaneously moving the other lever out of supporting engagement with the doors to effectuate the opening function. Similarly, the levers are also actuated or returned to their original position by said mechanism which provides for rotational movement of the levers so that camming means on said levers engages cams provided on the lower edges of the door for moving the same into a closed and locked position. It is therefore a prime object to provide an improved door operating arrangement for hopper doors which can be opened and closed with a minimum of effort by means of a fluid actuated mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railway hopper car having an improved hopper and door operating arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a portion of said hopper and door operating arrangement;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing a door operating mechanism; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a door operating mechanism in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. I discloses a railway hopper car comprising side walls 11 supporting a plurality of hopper structures generally designated by the reference character 12. The railway hopper car 10 comprises a conventional center sill l3 suitably supported on wheeled trucks 14, with the center sill 13 having connected thereto at opposite ends thereof couplers 15. Each hopper structure 12 comprises opposite end slope sheets 16 and inner slope sheets 17, as best shown in FIG. 4, suitably connected with the side walls 11. The hopper structures 12 are open at their bottom ends, as indicated by the reference character 18. The side walls 11 also carry longitudinally extending angle supports 19 which are suitably interconnected, as best shown in FIG. 1, to horizontally spaced vertically extending side posts 20. The angle supports 19 suitably support hinge brackets 21 from which are pivoted closure doors 22 by means of hinge brackets 23 connected in hinging relation to the hinge brackets 21 by means of binge pins 24. A channel member 25 is connected to the lower edge of the door 22 and extends longitudinally with respect thereto. A plurality of cams 26 are suitably connected, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to the lower surfaces of the doors 22 of each hopper. As shown in FIG. 1, four of the hopper structures 12 are positioned on the railway car 10, two on each side of the center sill 13. The mechanism, which will hereinafter be described, for opening and closing the doors, is identical for each of the hopper structures 12.

A door 28 has connected thereto hinge brackets 29 which engage hinge brackets 30 supported on a center sill 13 by means of hinge pins 31. Each door 28 also includes a longitudinally extending channel member 32 connected at the inner portion of the door 28 so as to complement the channel 25 whereby both doors are, as shown in FIG. 3, securely sealed in the closed position. The doors 28 are also provided with a plurality of earns 33 which are in horizontal alignment with the earns 26. The cams include converging cam surfaces 34 which join a relatively flat stop surface 35.

Each of the hopper structures 12 includes a door actuating and operating mechanism 36 comprising first levers 37 positioned at opposite ends of each hopper structure 12 and being suitably supported on the end slope sheets 16. The structure at each end of the hopper structure 12 is identical to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and only one end will be described below. The first lever 37 is pivotally connected to a boss 38 supported on the end slope sheets 16. An arm 39 extends laterally inwardly from the lever 37 and is rigidly connected thereto. A threaded pivot member in the form of a bolt 40 extends through the arm 39, lever 37 and into the boss 38 so that the lever 37 is pivotally supported on the end wall 16. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a longitudinal beam or strap 41 is suspended below the door 22 and extends slightly beyond the length of each hopper structure 12. Each longitudinal beam 41 is provided with a plurality of pedestals or roller supports 43 which are rigidly connected thereto and are in alignment with the cams 26. Each roller support 43 includes a roller 44 pivotally connected to each pedestal 43 by means of pivot pins 45, the said rollers 44 engaging the cams 26 in rolling and camming relation. The rollers 44 thus are in rolling engagement with the cam surfaces 27 of the door 22. The lower portion 42 of each lever 37 is rigidly secured to the longitudinal beams or straps 41 whereby said beams or straps are suitably suspended in the position indicated.

A lever 46 also is provided at each end of each hopper structure 12, said lever 46 having a lower portion 47 which is suitably connected to a longitudinal beam or strap 48 similar to the strap 41 and extending longitudinally and projecting slightly outwardly from the hopper structure 12. Roller supports or pedestals 49 are suitably carried on the beam 48 and in vertical alignment with the surfaces 34 of the cams 33. Rollers 50 are connected by means of pivot pins 51 to each of the pedestals 49 and are engageable in camming relation with the camming surfaces 34 and the flat surface 35. An arm 52 is rigidly connected to the upper end of the lever 46. The lever 46 is pivotally connected to the end wall 16 by means of a pivot nut or member 40 threaded into a boss 38'. The arm 52 has connected thereto a pivot pin 53 which is pivotal and slidable in a slot 54 provided in the arm 39. An arm 55 is hingedly connected by means of a pivot member 56 to the lever 46 and said arm 55 has its other end hingedly connected by means of a pivot member 58 to a crosshead 57 which is connected to move with a piston rod 59 having connected thereto a piston 60 movable within a suitable cylinder 61. The cylinder 61 may be suitably connected to a source of fluid pressure which may be pneumatic or hydraulic for actuating the piston 60 in a reciprocal manner to move the crosshead 57 in a vertical direction.

THE OPERATION Referring now to the open position shown in FIG. 4 wherein the material has discharged through the opening 18, the piston rod 59 now is actuated to move in a downward direction by virtue of fluid entering into the cylinder 61 at the top portion thereof which provides for movement of the crosshead 57 in a downward direction. The downward movement of the crosshead 57 provides for a downward force being exerted on the lever 46 which provides for rotation of said lever and the rollers 50 engage the camming surface 34 causing rotation of the door 28 in a clockwise manner toward its closed position, shown in FIG. 3. Simultaneously, the lever 37 is rotated about its pivot member 40 in a counterclockwise direction whereupon the roller 44 engages one of the camming surfaces 27 to move the door 22 to its closed position. In the closed position the roller 44 is in engagement with the other cam surface 27 immediately at a point which is on the centerline of the lever 37 so that the door 22 is effectively supported against opening. Likewise, the roller 50 is disposed in engagement with the flat surface 35 with the centerline of the roller being disposed on the centerline of the lever 46 and thus the doors are effectively supported against opening.

In the closed position, the piston 60 is at the lower end of the cylinder 61 and upon fluid entering at the lower point of the cylinder 61 the reverse action takes place in that the crosshead 57 is raised which in turn causes movement of the arm 55 to move the lever 46 in a counterclockwise manner thereby disengaging the roller 50 from the flat surface 35 and permitting the door to again swing to its open position by virtue of gravity and the weight of the load carried within the hopper structure 12. Simultaneously with the rotation of the lever 46 the lever 37 moves in a clockwise direction wherein the roller 44 is displaced from the surface 27 and the door 22 then may swing to its open position. As shown in FIG. 3, the arm 39 is provided with an elongated lost motion slot 54 to permit the arms 39-52 to move a sufficient distance downwardly thus pivoting arms 37-46. The doors are rigidly held against opening by the positioning of arms 37-46 and since the arm 55 is locked when the piston 60 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, accidental opening of the doors is virtually eliminated. Further, the levers 37 and 46 are in a supporting position relative to the doors and thus effectively assist in maintaining the load within the hopper while it is effectively sealed due to the function of channel members 25 and 34.

What is claimed is:

l. A door operating mechanism for a hopper structure having vertical side and end walls connected to provide a discharge opening, said mechanism comprising:

a pair of doors for opening and closing said discharge openmeans hingedly connecting said doors to said hopper structure for downward and relatively outward swinging movement,

means for opening and closing said doors comprising a pair of laterally spaced vertical levers, said levers being relatively disposed on opposite sides of a vertical central plane extending longitudinally through said discharge opening, each lever having a lower portion including support means engaging one of said doors to maintain the same in said closed position,

means hingedly connecting upper portions of said levers to said structure,

each said upper portion having an arm rigidly connected thereto and said arms projecting laterally from said levers toward each other,

means pivotally interconnecting adjacent ends of said arms,

and

actuating means connected to one of said levers for pivoting the same whereby one lever is pivoted with said lower portion thereof being moved outwardly from supporting relation to one door, said ends of said arms and pivotal interconnecting means being moved downwardly thereby moving the lower portion of said second arm outwardly from supporting relation with respect to said other door and said doors gravitating to an open position.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1,

said lower portions of said levers including camming means engageable with said doors for camming them to a closed position during operation of said actuating means.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2,

said camming means including rollers pivoted on said lower 1 portions, and cams on the bottom of said doors.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3,

said camming means including a support means extending horizontally from said levers underneath said doors and said rollers being pivoted thereon.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 4,

said hopper structure including a longitudinally extending support beam positioned adjacent thereof,

said actuating means including a link pivotally connected to one of said levers, and

actuating means connected to said link for moving said levers.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5,

said fluid actuating means including a reciprocable piston rod and cylinder assembly supported on said support means, and a crosshead on said piston rod pivotally connected to said link.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 1,

said means hingedly connecting said levers to said structure including laterally spaced pivot members supported on a side wall above said doors, and

said lower portions of said levers including camming means engageable with camming elements on said doors which during movement of said levers provide for movement of said doors between open and closed positions. 

1. A door operating mechanism for a hopper structure having vertical side and end walls connected to provide a discharge opening, said mechanism comprising: a pair of doors for opening and closing said discharge opening, means hingedly connecting said doors to said hopper structure for downward and relatively outward swinging movement, means for opening and closing said doors comprising a pair of laterally spaced vertical levers, said levers being relatively disposed on opposite sides of a vertical central plane extending longitudinally through said discharge opening, each lever having a lower portion including support means engaging one of said doors to maintain the same in said closed position, means hingedly connecting upper portions of said levers to said structure, each said upper portion having an arm rigidly connected thereto and said arms projecting laterally from said levers toward each other, means pivotally interconnecting adjacent ends of said arms, and actuating meanS connected to one of said levers for pivoting the same whereby one lever is pivoted with said lower portion thereof being moved outwardly from supporting relation to one door, said ends of said arms and pivotal interconnecting means being moved downwardly thereby moving the lower portion of said second arm outwardly from supporting relation with respect to said other door and said doors gravitating to an open position.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said lower portions of said levers including camming means engageable with said doors for camming them to a closed position during operation of said actuating means.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 2, said camming means including rollers pivoted on said lower portions, and cams on the bottom of said doors.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 3, said camming means including a support means extending horizontally from said levers underneath said doors and said rollers being pivoted thereon.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 4, said hopper structure including a longitudinally extending support beam positioned adjacent thereof, said actuating means including a link pivotally connected to one of said levers, and actuating means connected to said link for moving said levers.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, said fluid actuating means including a reciprocable piston rod and cylinder assembly supported on said support means, and a crosshead on said piston rod pivotally connected to said link.
 7. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said means hingedly connecting said levers to said structure including laterally spaced pivot members supported on a side wall above said doors, and said lower portions of said levers including camming means engageable with camming elements on said doors which during movement of said levers provide for movement of said doors between open and closed positions. 